Fruit: an Illustrated History

Science News, Oct 25, 2003

Fruit: An Illustrated History. PETER BLACKBURNE-MAZE THE ROSE: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY PETER HARKNESS

These stunning, oversize books tell the history of fruit and roses by defining the origins of many varieties, detailing how they have been dispersed around the world, and describing the cultural significance of each variety. Chapters in both books profile individual varieties in an inviting, conversational style. Color illustrations from the archives of the Royal Horticultural Society are featured on every two-page spread. Fruit is divided into four major groups--pome(apple and medlar), stone (plum and apricot), berry (currant and blueberry), and exotic (avocado and lychee), Among the interesting facts conveyed is that pomegranate juice stain is almost impossible to remove and that the fig isn't a fruit, but an inside-out flower. Roses charts the 5,000-year-old history of the flower from its wild origins in China to today, when there are more than 20,000 hybrids. This tome flower follows the rose's travels to Iraq, where 4,000-year-old Sumerian tablets refer to the flower. Eventually, Harkness gets to France, where roses were marketed for cosmetic and medical purposes. Looking to the future, he proposes that roses will be bred without thorns, repellent to aphids, and more fragrant than ever. Both books were originally published in the United Kingdom. Firefly, 2003, 335 p./336 p., color illustrations, hardcover, $60.00 each.